China's hotel bookings outstrip figures from 2019

China's tourism industry is showing strong growth momentum, as hotel bookings on the Qunar.com travel platform for the past week exceeded the same period in 2019 following the reopening of two resorts in Beijing and Shanghai, The Paper reported on Wednesday.

This surge in bookings is considered a "multiplier effect" of the reopening of Shanghai Disney Resort and Universal Studios Beijing.

Universal Studios Beijing resumed operations on June 25 as the COVID-19 resurgence has largely subsided in the national capital.

Shanghai Disney announced on June 28 it will reopen on June 30 following a three-month closure induced by the city's recent COVID-19 outbreak.

The resumption of service for the two theme parks will drive a strong rebound in the summer tourism market, according to industry insiders.

Statistics from Qunar.com indicate searches for "Disney" rose 655 percent month-on-month on the afternoon of June 28, driving the popularity of Shanghai to nearly double in terms of online traffic.

The reopening of Shanghai Disney has also driven the popularity of other scenic spots in Shanghai.

Qunar data show there are currently 3,041 theme parks operating normally across the country. From June 1 to 28, the national theme park ticket sales doubled compared with the same period in May.

The two resorts are expected to make up about 20 percent of the ticket volume for all theme parks across the country during the summer vacation.

Theme parks offer a comprehensive business, which drives other consumption such as transportation, accommodation, catering and fast-moving consumer goods, said Huang Xiaojie, chief marketing officer of Qunar.

Hotel bookings witnessed 50 percent growth over the weekend near Universal Studios Beijing since its reopening on June 25.

In the past two weeks, the occupancy rate of Huazhu Group hotels has exceeded 80 percent and there is a further upward trend as the summer vacation approaches, according to data from the hotel chain.